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The 12 Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva

The 12 Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva The Dwadasa Jyotirlinga shrines or the 12 shrines enshrining Shiva in the form of a Jyotirlingam, have been held in reverence since time immemorial in the Indian system of beliefs. These temples are closely linked with legends from the puranas and are rich in history and tradition.

1. Somnath is the foremost of the 12 Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva, held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, traditions and history. It is located at Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra in Gujarat.

3. Ujjain – Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga shrine The ancient and historic city of Ujjain or Avanti in Madhya Pradeshis home to the Jyotirlinga shrine of Mahakaleshwar.

4. Omkareshwar: an island in the course of the river Narmada in Madhya Pradeshis home to the Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga shrine and the Amareshwar temple.

5. Kedarnath – the Northernmost of the Jyotirlingas. Kedarnath, nestled in the snow clad Himalayas is an ancient shrine rich in legend and tradition.

6. Bhimashankar – Jyotirlinga Shrine is associated with the legend of Shiva destroying the demon Tripurasura. Bhimashankar is located in the Sahyadri hills of Maharashtra.

7. Varanasi – The most celebrated pilgrimage site in India The Vishwanath temple in Benares in Uttar Pradeshis the goal of the thousands of pilgrims that visit this ancient city. The Vishwanath shrine is revered as one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva.

8. Tryambakeshwar –The origin of the river Godavari is intimately linked with this Jyotirlinga shrine near Nasik in Maharashtra.

9. Vaidyanath temple at Deogarh The ancient pilgrimage town of Deogarh in the Santal Parganas area of Bihar is revered as one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva.

10. Nageshwar near Dwarka in Gujaratis one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva.

11. Rameswaram: This vast temple in the island of Rameswaram, in Southern Tamilnadu enshrines Ramalingeswarar, and is revered as the southernmost of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of India.

12. Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Shrine is a temple located in the vicinity of the tourist town of Ellora, which has several rock cut monuments from the 1st millennium CE.